Where Your Treasure Is Study #1

David Staff   -   January 10, 2021

Laying Up for Yourselves Treasure

Matthew 6:19-24

INTRODUCTION:  Becoming Jesus’ disciple, one who is learning life from him and obeying him?  What does that look like for those together at Christ Community Church?

Because we seek to connect people to life-defining relationships in Christ, our discipleship is driven by important questions:

  • Is God’s Spirit flowing through me (each day)?
  • Does God make my day? (daily time in scripture and prayer)
  • Who shares my tough stuff? (accountability with other disciples)
  • How worn is my welcome mat? (taking opportunities to invite people closer to Jesus)
  • With whom am I fishing? (serving in ministry together)
  • How are my investments doing? (radical generosity in giving)

Our current Gather Teaching series focuses on the last question: How are my investments doing?

GETTING STARTED – Share with your group how

  • you learned the value of money, savings, and investments? From parents (and their model)?  A class taken?  From personal reading, or ‘trial and error’ experience?
  • you learned what God has to say about the same. What’s the one Biblical idea or principle about money that you use to handle what God puts in your hands?  Please explain!

IN THE WORD – This week’s teaching comes from Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-24.  Read the passage together and then interact with the following questions:

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

  1. What are 2-3 observations you make about Jesus’ teaching?
  2. What do you think Jesus means by the following phrases –
    1. “lay up for yourselves” – what is this action?
    2. “treasures” – what are these?
    3. “your heart” – what might Jesus mean by this?
  3. In these verses, how does the Lord describe a depreciating asset vs. an appreciating asset?
  4. What do vss. 22-23 say about having the right perspective about laying up treasure?
  5. Why do you think Jesus said you can’t serve both God and money? How would you explain to a son or granddaughter what Jesus means?
  6. Finally, does some consideration of 1 Timothy 6:17-19 provide some help?

APPLYING and PRAYING TOGETHER – SUMMARY

Finish by talking about the advice you’d give this fellow, given what we’ve learned from Jesus’ teaching.

PRAY TOGETHER – in this January 2021 month of prayer, remember to pray for

  • Strengthening the unity of Christ Community Church in this new year
  • The Spirit’s direction and power in our pastoral leadership transition
  • A fresh season of ministry fruitfulness and impact (people getting connected to Jesus and to one another).

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